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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. last — to go on
  6. season — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cue — for pool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pitch — completely
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — finally
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — of the year
  22. ground — crushed
  23. last — final
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com